


it's just my soul responding to the heavy heart i'm holding | robron

by lockedinmybody



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Crying, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Soft™, robert takes care of aaron, set after the prison release, softest thing ive ever written probs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 04:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9959636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lockedinmybody/pseuds/lockedinmybody
Summary: inspired by that one scene after aaron just got back from custody after he decked kasim, where robert tells chas that aaron's sleeping like a baby. bc i have a soft spot for these two taking care of each other. v soft, nothing harsh. :)





	

Robert couldn't come with to the police station on the day of Aaron's release.  
The day he had been looking forward to for _months_ was finally here, but Robert shook his head when Chas jingled her car keys in front of his face. "You're jokin'." He cast his eyes to the floor of the back room, almost ashamed. "Chas, I- I can't." He took a deep breath and pushed a hand over his face.  
"I have got stuff on you know. Checking in with Ronnie to see how things are with the Mill." Robert paused for a moment, fingers spinning the ring around his finger. _Husband._ "What if he's not the same. Maybe he won't even wanna see me today. Wha-" "Robert." Chas stepped closer and placed a hand on his arm. "He might be a bit nervous too. But you've both missed each other like crazy. I'll pick him up with Liv, you go do whatever you need to." A small smile and a squeeze on his arm and she was out the door.

***

He was sitting in their bedroom, with the door opened when he heard them downstairs. "Right, I'll go stick the kettle on." Chas' heels clicked their way into the kitchen. Robert sat on the edge of their bed, listening. He heard a deep sigh and muffled sniffling. "I'm glad you're home." Liv.  
"Me too." Aaron. _Aaron._ His eyes watered, lips trembling. He quickly took the steps down the stairs, seeing his beautiful husband standing at the bottom, watching Liv and Chas in the kitchen. And beautiful he was. He had put his suit back on, the one he had worn to court on the day of his sentencing. His beard was a lot scruffier and less neat than normal, and his hair had grown a bit. Everything about him looked so familiar, so warm and inviting.  
"Hey then, Mr. Sugden."

Aaron's head snapped up the stairs, tears already forming in his eyes. Robert took the last few steps down and wrapped his arms around Aaron's waist, pulling him in and hooking his chin over Aaron's shoulder. He could hear Aaron cry quietly, felt his body tremble. "Hey, Mr. Dingle." Robert gently swayed them back and forth, feeling something dissolve in his chest as he inhaled deeply. He held the back of Aaron's head as he placed his lips against his neck, then up to his cheek, his forehead, his nose and finally his lips. Aaron made a small noise in the back of his throat as they kissed, and Robert felt the wetness on Aaron's face against his own. He pulled back slightly, letting their foreheads fall together. "I love you. So much." Robert whispered in the tiny space between them. Aaron nodded. "I love you too."

 

Two cups of tea, a meal, and two pints later, Aaron and Robert found themselves slung across the couch. Liv had gone up to bed already, and Chas was behind the bar.  
The TV was on but neither of them were paying attention. The only thing Robert _could_ feel was Aaron. He had his arm around his shoulder, Aaron's head against the place between his chest and his arm. If Robert moved his hand slightly he could place it against Aaron's chest, feeling the thumping heartbeat of the man he loved. He did, every now and then. There was nothing sexual about the way they touched that day, neither of them seeking anything more than the reassurance that _this was real and happening and they were together again_.  
Robert moved his arm across Aaron's stomach, holding him and kissing the top of his head. Aaron's body started to shake, and when he turned in Robert's arms, cheek pressed against his chest, Robert could see he was crying. He saw twelve months of exhaustion, of sadness, of frustration. Aaron looked wrung out. Robert tightened his arms around him, feeling a sudden surge to take care of his husband. Maybe it was the fact that they were wed now, or just that Aaron looked simultaneously relieved and tense and the only thing he wanted to do was take all of that away. The way he had wanted to when it was late at night, and he couldn't sleep in a bed that was too big and too empty. The days he had helped Adam at the scrapyard and his chest would seize up at the sight of the empty desk.  
The moments Liv had knocked on his door, tears dripping down her cheeks and Robert had held her, wanting to be able to give her her brother back and make everything better but not knowing how. 

He held Aaron's face in his hands, thumbs wiping the tears from under his eyes. He leaned forwards, placing his lips on Aaron's forehead and leaving them there for as long as Aaron needed them to. "I love you." Aaron looked up at him and nodded. "How about I run you a bath." Robert whispered. He stood up from the couch and held his hand out for Aaron to take.  
They walked up the stairs like that, Robert first, tugging on Aaron's hand to follow him. He guided Aaron to their bed, where he sat down. Robert quickly walked to the bathroom and turned the taps on. He walked back and found Aaron in the exact same position, looking up at Robert. Robert's heart ached at how small he looked. He kneeled in front of him, fingers finding the buttons on Aaron's shirt and working his way down. He gently spread Aaron's arms so he could take the shirt off, kissing each shoulder as he did.  
He held Aaron's arms to tug him upwards, undoing Aaron's belt and unbuttoning his trousers.  
Slowly he crouched down to fully take his trousers off, Aaron’s hand holding onto his shoulder as he stepped out of them. Neither of them had said anything, but they didn’t need to.  
Robert took hold of Aaron’s hand again, and led them to the bath. He turned the taps off and then took Aaron’s pants off. Aaron slowly sank down into the warm water, eyes fluttering shut as the comfort engulfed him.  
Robert carefully sat down on the edge of the bathtub, facing Aaron. It was funny how there was still nothing about this that felt sexual. Aaron was the first person with whom intimacy took other forms than sex. He looked at his husband, who was staring straight back at him, and felt nothing but love, and warmth and a fierce need to protect him.

“I have to go get something, I’ll be two seconds.” Robert quickly walked back downstairs, finding Aaron’s bag on the kitchen table. He zipped it open, searching. It had to be in there somewhere.  
He ran up the stairs, Aaron still motionless in the bath. Upon seeing what Robert was holding in his hand though, a small smile made its way onto his face. “I saved that last little bit for ages.” He admitted quietly, eyes on the bottle of shower gel in Robert’s hand. _Robert’s_ shower gel.  
Robert looked at him, and he knew. He knew Aaron missed him as much as he missed Aaron. Knew he wasn’t alone in having weak moments. Knew that they had both clung onto whatever had been there that belonged to the other person in an attempt to seek comfort.  
Robert leaned forward and caught Aaron’s lips with his own. They moved slow, unhurried. Robert revelled in the luxury of being able to take his time. He kissed Aaron’s cheek before moving to grab the bottle, squeezing a bit of product out and rubbing it between his hands.  
He washed Aaron, feeling and seeing Aaron relax into himself.  
Aaron stepped out of the bath, and Robert helped him dry him off. In their bedroom, Aaron pulled on a T-shirt and some joggers, before climbing into their bed.  
Robert, now also in pyjamas, smiled at him, feeling overly happy at the sight of Aaron back in their bed, where he _should_ be. He pulled back the duvet to slide in next to Aaron, turning his head to look at him. “I love you.” Aaron huffed a small laugh. “You’ve said that a lot today.” Robert shrugged, a light flush tinting his cheeks. “’S’true. I have to compensate for the last twelve months, don’t I.”  
Aaron’s eyes turned soft at that. “Soft.” He muttered, a grin teasing around his mouth. Aaron slid down and turned on his side, laying his head down into Robert’s lap. Robert felt Aaron exhale against the duvet. He petted his hand over Aaron’s head, fingers lightly threading through his hair.  
He looked down and saw Aaron’s eyes closing. He bended down, kissing the side of Aaron’s face, the weight of his head in his lap a welcome pressure. It pulled him back in the moment, forcing the anxious thoughts out his mind.  
He heard Aaron’s breathing even out, and he carefully slid down to place Aaron’s head onto his chest. He curled an arm around Aaron’s shoulder, exhaling deeply.  
_He’s here. He’s back._

**Author's Note:**

> tell me what you thought! come have a poke on tumblr as well, lockedinmybody.tumblr.com  
> send me prompts or fic ideas if you'd like :)


End file.
